Market value
—
Central Midfield Midfield
Career snapshot
8
clubs played for
02/03
debut season
0.09
goals / match
Crystal Palace
top club · 189 apps
Career highs
€4.00m
peak value · 2011
€2.10m
top transfer fee · 08/09
7
best season · 07/08
2 / 0
int'l caps / goals
Born the same day
Shares 1985-07-09 · 4 players total
550Appearances
48Goals
40Assists
81Yellow cards
1Red cards
174Full matches (90′)
| Full name | Ben Watson |
|---|---|
| Name in home country | Benjamin Watson |
| Date of birth | 1985-07-09 (40 yrs) |
| Place of birth | London, England |
| Citizenship |  England |
| Position | Midfield - Central Midfield (main: Midfield) |
| Foot | right |
| Height | 178.00 m |
| Current club | Retired |
| Joined | 2022-08-09 |
| Contract expires | — |
| Agent | CAA Base Ltd |
Aug 2022
Transfer: Charlton → Retired
22/23 · Transfer
Jul 2021
21/22 — Charlton Athletic
14 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Sep 2020
Transfer: Forest → Charlton
20/21 · Transfer
Jul 2020
20/21 — Charlton Athletic
30 matches · 1 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Jul 2019
19/20 — Nottingham Forest
45 matches · 3 G · 4 A · across 1 competition
Jul 2018
18/19 — Nottingham Forest
21 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Feb 2018
Transfer: Watford → Forest
17/18 · Transfer
Jul 2017
17/18 — Nottingham Forest, Watford FC
25 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Feb 2017
Injury: unknown
11 games missed
Jul 2016
16/17 — Watford FC
6 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2015
15/16 — Watford FC
41 matches · 1 G · 2 A · across 3 competitions
Jan 2015
Transfer: Wigan → Watford
14/15 · Transfer
Jul 2014
14/15 — Watford FC, Wigan Athletic
30 matches · 1 G · 2 A · across 2 competitions
Feb 2014
Injury: unknown
21 games missed
Jul 2013
13/14 — Wigan Athletic
33 matches · 5 G · 4 A · across 4 competitions
Nov 2012
Injury: unknown
31 games missed
Jul 2012
12/13 — Wigan Athletic
15 matches · 2 G · 1 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2011
11/12 — Wigan Athletic, Wigan Athletic U21
24 matches · 4 G · 2 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2010
10/11 — Wigan Athletic, Wigan Athletic U21
36 matches · 4 G · 2 A · across 4 competitions
Apr 2010
Transfer: West Brom → Wigan
09/10 · Return from loan
Feb 2010
Transfer: Wigan → West Brom
09/10 · Loan
Jan 2010
Transfer: QPR → Wigan
09/10 · Return from loan
Sep 2009
Transfer: Wigan → QPR
09/10 · Loan
Jul 2009
09/10 — West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers, Wigan Athletic
31 matches · 5 G · 7 A · across 4 competitions
Jan 2009
Transfer: Crystal Palace → Wigan
08/09 · Transfer · €2.10m
Jul 2008
08/09 — Crystal Palace, Wigan Athletic
29 matches · 7 G · 3 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2007
07/08 — Crystal Palace
46 matches · 7 G · 9 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2006
06/07 — Crystal Palace
26 matches · 3 G · 3 A · across 2 competitions
Jul 2005
05/06 — Crystal Palace
48 matches · 4 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2004
04/05 — Crystal Palace
24 matches · 0 G · 1 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2003
03/04 — Crystal Palace
21 matches · 1 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Jan 2003
Transfer: Palace U18 → Crystal Palace
02/03 · Transfer
Jul 2002
02/03 — Crystal Palace
5 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 1 competition
Jan 1970
Peak market value: €4.00m
Highest valuation recorded in dataset
Minutes played by club
Charlton Athletic
13.8%
Nottingham Forest
8.5%
Watford FC
18.0%
Wigan Athletic
30.8%
Wigan Athletic U21
0.0%
West Bromwich Albion
3.5%
Queens Park Rangers
4.4%
Crystal Palace
21.1%
| Club | Seasons | First | Last | Matches | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Athletic | 2 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 2,157 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3 | 17/18 | 19/20 | 80 | 3 | 4 | 1,334 |
| Watford FC | 4 | 14/15 | 17/18 | 78 | 1 | 4 | 2,815 |
| Wigan Athletic | 7 | 08/09 | 14/15 | 133 | 20 | 10 | 4,835 |
| Wigan Athletic U21 | 2 | 10/11 | 11/12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1 | 09/10 | 09/10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 541 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1 | 09/10 | 09/10 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 684 |
| Crystal Palace | 7 | 02/03 | 08/09 | 189 | 20 | 16 | 3,307 |
Career trajectory — goals, assists & market value
Goals by season
Assists by season
| Season | Competition | Club | Matches | Goals | Assists | YC | RC | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/22 | EFL Cup | Charlton Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21/22 | EFL Trophy | Charlton Athletic | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 21/22 | FA Cup | Charlton Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21/22 | League One | Charlton Athletic | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20/21 | EFL Trophy | Charlton Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20/21 | League One | Charlton Athletic | 29 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2,157 |
| 19/20 | Championship | Nottingham Forest | 45 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1,334 |
| 18/19 | Championship | Nottingham Forest | 17 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 18/19 | EFL Cup | Nottingham Forest | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17/18 | Championship | Nottingham Forest | 14 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 17/18 | EFL Cup | Watford FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17/18 | FA Cup | Watford FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17/18 | Premier League | Watford FC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16/17 | EFL Cup | Watford FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16/17 | FA Cup | Watford FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16/17 | Premier League | Watford FC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15/16 | FA Cup | Watford FC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15/16 | League Cup | Watford FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15/16 | Premier League | Watford FC | 35 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2,815 |
| 14/15 | Championship | Watford FC | 20 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 14/15 | Championship | Wigan Athletic | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 638 |
| 14/15 | FA Cup | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | Championship | Wigan Athletic | 25 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 988 |
| 13/14 | Community Shield | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | Europa League | Wigan Athletic | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 236 |
| 13/14 | FA Cup | Wigan Athletic | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 134 |
| 12/13 | FA Cup | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 12/13 | League Cup | Wigan Athletic | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/13 | Premier League | Wigan Athletic | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 623 |
| 11/12 | FA Cup | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/12 | League Cup | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 11/12 | Premier League | Wigan Athletic | 21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 420 |
| 11/12 | Reserve League | Wigan Athletic U21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | FA Cup | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | League Cup | Wigan Athletic | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 360 |
| 10/11 | Premier League | Wigan Athletic | 29 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 707 |
| 10/11 | Reserve League | Wigan Athletic U21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 09/10 | Championship | West Bromwich Albion | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 541 |
| 09/10 | Championship | Queens Park Rangers | 16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 684 |
| 09/10 | FA Cup | Wigan Athletic | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 09/10 | League Cup | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 09/10 | Premier League | Wigan Athletic | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 337 |
| 08/09 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 18 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 312 |
| 08/09 | League Cup | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 08/09 | Premier League | Wigan Athletic | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 326 |
| 07/08 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 42 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 702 |
| 07/08 | Championship Play-Offs | Crystal Palace | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 105 |
| 07/08 | FA Cup | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 07/08 | League Cup | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 06/07 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 25 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 526 |
| 06/07 | League Cup | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 42 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 845 |
| 05/06 | Championship Play-Offs | Crystal Palace | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | FA Cup | Crystal Palace | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | League Cup | Crystal Palace | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | FA Cup | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | League Cup | Crystal Palace | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | Premier League | Crystal Palace | 21 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | FA Cup | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | First Division | Crystal Palace | 16 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 817 |
| 03/04 | League Cup | Crystal Palace | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 02/03 | First Division | Crystal Palace | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Season | Date | From | To | Type | Market value | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/03 | 2003-01-01 | Palace U18 | Crystal Palace | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 08/09 | 2009-01-26 | Crystal Palace | Wigan | Transfer | 1750000 | €2.10m |
| 09/10 | 2009-09-01 | Wigan | QPR | Loan | 2200000 | — |
| 09/10 | 2010-01-01 | QPR | Wigan | Return from loan | 2200000 | — |
| 09/10 | 2010-02-22 | Wigan | West Brom | Loan | 2000000 | — |
| 09/10 | 2010-04-01 | West Brom | Wigan | Return from loan | 2000000 | — |
| 14/15 | 2015-01-23 | Wigan | Watford | Transfer | 1500000 | — |
| 17/18 | 2018-02-05 | Watford | Forest | Transfer | 1000000 | — |
| 20/21 | 2020-09-25 | Forest | Charlton | Transfer | 250000 | — |
| 22/23 | 2022-08-09 | Charlton | Retired | Transfer | 250000 | — |
| Season | Injury | From | To | Days missed | Games missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/13 | Broken leg | 2012-11-17 | 2013-04-25 | 160 | 31 |
| 13/14 | Broken leg | 2014-02-25 | 2014-06-30 | 126 | 21 |
| 16/17 | Groin strain | 2017-02-08 | 2017-05-11 | 93 | 11 |
Current—
Peak€4.00m
Low—
Δ since start−€50k
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jan 1, 1970 | — |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €250k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €500k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €4.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €3.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €4.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.20m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.75m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €700k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €50k |
| Team | Shirt | Matches | Goals | Debut | Age at debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team #9565 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | former national player |
| Teammate | PPG played with | Joint goals | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Lolley | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Matty Cash | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Single-season peaks across competitions in this player's career.
Top goalscoring seasons
| Season | Competition | Club | Goals | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/08 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 5 | 42 |
| 08/09 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 5 | 18 |
| 05/06 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 4 | 42 |
Top assist seasons
| Season | Competition | Club | Assists | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/08 | Championship | Crystal Palace | 9 | 42 |
| 19/20 | Championship | Nottingham Forest | 4 | 45 |
| 09/10 | Championship | West Bromwich Albion | 4 | 23 |
Every loan spell across this player's career.
| Season | Date | From | To | Type | Fee | Value at transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/10 | 2010-04-01 | West Brom | Wigan | Return from loan | — | €2.00m |
| 09/10 | 2010-02-22 | Wigan | West Brom | Loan | — | €2.00m |
| 09/10 | 2010-01-01 | QPR | Wigan | Return from loan | — | €2.20m |
| 09/10 | 2009-09-01 | Wigan | QPR | Loan | — | €2.20m |
Teams faced most often by Ben Watson's clubs during seasons he played in those competitions (team-level results, not personal head-to-head goals — see disclaimer above).
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City | 92 | 28 | 30 | 34 | 112 | 116 | -4 | 30% |
| Ipswich Town | 92 | 41 | 22 | 29 | 126 | 98 | +28 | 45% |
| Derby County | 91 | 35 | 21 | 35 | 117 | 121 | -4 | 38% |
| Reading FC | 90 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 126 | 106 | +20 | 34% |
| Middlesbrough FC | 88 | 32 | 25 | 31 | 103 | 97 | +6 | 36% |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 88 | 34 | 25 | 29 | 111 | 108 | +3 | 39% |
| Barnsley FC | 85 | 33 | 24 | 28 | 117 | 90 | +27 | 39% |
| Burnley FC | 82 | 20 | 25 | 37 | 98 | 123 | -25 | 24% |
| Leicester City | 82 | 29 | 20 | 33 | 114 | 133 | -19 | 35% |
| Hull City | 80 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 94 | 93 | +1 | 34% |
| Birmingham City | 80 | 30 | 20 | 30 | 95 | 93 | +2 | 38% |
| Blackpool FC | 76 | 26 | 28 | 22 | 120 | 102 | +18 | 34% |
Auto-detected milestones based on cumulative career totals.
| Season / Year | Milestone | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 02/03 | Senior debut season | |
| 03/04 | First senior goal |
Yellow / second-yellow / red cards per season. Only seasons with at least one card are shown.
| Season | Matches | Mins | YC | 2nd YC | RC | Cards / 90′ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/22 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20/21 | 30 | 2,157 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 19/20 | 45 | 1,334 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.54 |
| 18/19 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17/18 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16/17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15/16 | 41 | 2,815 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 14/15 | 30 | 638 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.42 |
| 13/14 | 33 | 1,358 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 12/13 | 15 | 632 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.14 |
| 11/12 | 24 | 444 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.41 |
| 10/11 | 36 | 1,067 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| 09/10 | 31 | 1,595 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.23 |
| 08/09 | 29 | 638 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.71 |
| 07/08 | 46 | 807 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.45 |
| 06/07 | 26 | 526 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.68 |
| 05/06 | 48 | 845 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.64 |
| 04/05 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | 21 | 817 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.44 |
Output by competition
Career goals and assists broken down by tournament.
Championship
280 apps
26 G
28 A
Premier League
145 apps
11 G
5 A
FA Cup
23 apps
4 G
2 A
League Cup
27 apps
2 G
2 A
Championship Play-Offs
4 apps
2 G
0 A
Europa League
4 apps
1 G
1 A
League One
38 apps
1 G
0 A
First Division
21 apps
1 G
0 A
Reserve League
3 apps
0 G
2 A
More on Ben Watson
Explore this player's career through different angles.
Similar players
Same position, similar age, sorted by market value.
Frequently asked about Ben Watson
Who is Ben Watson?
Ben Watson is an England professional footballer who plays as a central midfield for Retired.
How old is Ben Watson?
Ben Watson is 40 years old. He was born on July 9, 1985 in London.
What position does Ben Watson play?
Ben Watson plays as a central midfield (Midfield - Central Midfield).
What club does Ben Watson play for?
Ben Watson currently plays for Retired.
How many career goals has Ben Watson scored?
Across all senior club competitions in our dataset, Ben Watson has scored 48 goals in 550 appearances.